The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on stakeholders engaged in the constitutional review to safeguard the financial and administrative independence of local governments.
This is coming on the heels of an alleged deliberate withholding and diversion of statutory allocations due to the democratically elected Local Government Councils in Osun State.
This, according to the Congress, constitutes “a blatant violation of the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the judgment of the Court of Appeal affirming the legitimacy of the current Local Government leadership in Osun State”.
The Labour Congress in a communique issued at the end of its Central Working Committee (Cwc) meeting held in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, however, called for the intervention of the Federal Government on the crisis
It therefore reaffirmed its position in the support of genuine local government autonomy, saying that is is the cornerstone for grassroots development, accountability, and democratic participation.
“The CWC noted the ongoing regional Public Hearings on the Review of the 1999 Constitution and underscored that this process must not be reduced to a ritualistic exercise.
“Instead, it must serve as an historic opportunity to address the structural inbalances that perpetuate underdevelopment, entrench inequities, and stifle the productive forces of our federation.
“The CWC condemns in strongest terms this partisan interference, which undermines grassroots governance, deprives workers of their wages, and sabotages essential services such as primary healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
“The NLC demands the immediate and unconditional release of all withheld Local Government allocations to the lawfully recognized administrations in Osun State.
“The Attorney-General must retract all unlawful directives to federal financial institutions and cease further politicization of Local Government autonomy.
“The NLC warns that failure to comply within a reasonable timeframe will compel decisive actions to protect workers’ rights and uphold the rule of law”, the communique reads.
